Spanky & Our Gang reissue!!! The complete Mercury recordings

http://www.hip-oselect.com/catalogue_spanky.asp

I always loved these guys. Everyone always compares them to the Mamas & Papas, and I suppose that's understandable (hell, for the M & P reunion tour, Spanky replaced Mama Cass, so who am I to argue). But I think there were significant differences. They never had the coolness quotient of the Mamas & Papas, but were every bit their equal in harmonies and quality. Where John Phillips primarily drew from a straight folk-rock angle, the Gang also used pop/jazz, vaudeville and cabaret. The rock cognoscenti never really took to Spanky, the vocals were probably a little too coy and old fashioned on many of the LP cuts. But there's also a sophistication to many of their tunes. "Sunday Will Never Be The Same ", (my personal fave) is a wonderful pop tune with some of the saddest underlying lyrics within that genre. If you've ever lost someone close - this song will remind you of being with them. "Like To Get To Know You", would have been cool on anyone else's album. And "Lazy Day" ranks up there with any summertime song. On your next compilation tape/CD/download just put it between the Temptations "My Girl" and the Rascals "Beautiful Morning" and it'll be June. I also rank "the Klan" highly. Most songs about them are filled with anger of fear. Spanky & Our Gang treated them in a much more fruitful manner - poking fun at their ignorance and terrible fashion sense. You'll never treat them as serious humans again after hearing a line like "And I look so high and mighty in my pointy hat and nightie". A very neat band.